So far, the start of the special session of the Texas Legislature has been kind of quiet. In fact, the Senate didn't even meet Wednesday.

But the fireworks could start as early as Thursday morning when the House Redistricting Committee holds a public hearing on congressional redistricting, traditionally the most contentious of all redistricting fights in any statehouse.

The two big stories from Austin today are that House and Senate negotiators have reached an agreement on funding the public school system and that Gov. Rick Perry will consider whether to run for president.

After one more lengthy debate and five amendments rejected, the Texas House of Representatives gave final approval to Senate Bill 31, the legislation with the proposed boundaries for all 31 Texas Senate districts for the next ten years.

And though the passage was never in doubt, Friday's debate offered a preview of the legal arguments the map proposed by Sen. Kel Seliger can expect in court later this year. Seliger, R-Amarillo, is chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Redistricting.

With the clock ticking because the regular session of the Texas Legislature ends in 11 days, five House members and five senators negotiating the state budget are closer than ever in reaching an agreement.

That's the word from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, the presiding officer of the Texas Senate.

The Senate made an offer - which has the support of all 19 Republicans and two Democrats in the chamber - that House negotiators will consider, Dewhurst told reporters after a Thursday afternoon meeting ended.

For the first time since the 82nd Texas Legislature convened in mid-January, the House of Representatives is meeting Saturday but apparently a few lawmakers decided to skip today's session to go back home early for Mother's Day.

At the request of Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, followed by Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, for nearly an hour House Speaker Joe Straus and other members debated a motion by Turner to have Texas Department of Public Safety troopers if necessary to bring the missing members back to the House floor.

Capitol reporters, lobbyists, activists and other people, who are at the statehouse regularly and have to go through airport-type of security because they don't have a concealed handgun license, may soon get a big break.

Today, the Texas House of Representatives tentatively approved a bill that would allow those folks to bypass security provided they are willing to pay a $44 fee and undergo state and federal background checks.